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The Atlas work has now started again recording breeding birds. Be sure to
enter your data to the Atlas on the link below.
You will fine very useful information here about the area you visit. Well
worth a few extra minutes at your computer!

29
April, 2009
3 Crossbills
seen at Shankill this evening. KG Buzzard
at the Cherrywood exit on the m50 yesterday evening. Down the Dodder there
was 1 Dipper today, 3 Blackcaps, a Treecreeper and a few
Chiffers were the best in Bushy Park.RV

28
April, 2009ImmatureIceland Gullat
Balbriggan this evening making its way towards Swords. AK Buzzard
was seen over FitzSimon’s Wood, Sandyford, at 2pm also 10+ Blackcaps, 15+
Willow Warblers, 4+ Chiffchaffs, 10+ Redpolls and
a Raven was also present . CMac L

27
April, 2009
Waxwings still about with 108 seen today on Dolphin Rd, Rialto.
RV At the Strawberry Beds 6 Chiffchaff and 7 Blackcaps singing, and 1
Sparrowhawk and 1 Buzzard soaring. Also Sand Martins showing interest in the nest holes in the Magazine Fort in the
Phoenix Park.CE

Waxwings in Rialto today. Oisin O' Brannagain

26
April 2009Osprey seen over Aughrim, Co Wicklow. A Cuckoo
also heard in the area.ERAt Kilcoole were 6 late male Wigeon, a Water Rail, a single
Golden Plover in summer plumage, 4 Whimbrels, 23 Sandwich Terns and 8 Little Terns.
A "brown" Merlin chased a Skylark while no attempt by the Lark to dive for cover, and indeed it kept singing in the short gaps between the Merlin's attempts to catch it. Finally, the Merlin gave up and switched its attentions to a Swallow.There was quite a good trickle of
Swallows and Sand Martins northwards over the marshes at
Kilcoole...and a couple of Sedge Warblers were singing in the
reeds.OM

Osprey over Aughrim, Co Wicklow. Emmett Rees

Swifts have arrived
– 1 at Kilcoole and 1 over Bray head today.
CM 10 Swallows in a chaotic group flew around Temple Bar this
afternoon. LB Did you know that The
Central Bank have put up a nest box for the raptors in the area!
At least we presume its for the raptors......!

25
April, 2009
Adult Little Gull in Swords today. AK

24
April, 2009
40 Waxwings at St James Hospital. MH

20
April, 2009
A Sparrowhawk is the latest raptor to make a regular appearance in
Temple Bar surprising inner city residents today as it devoured a member of
the small House Sparrow population in the area. RE

More
beauty from the Dodder. John Fox

Sunday
19 April, 2009 Just your average day on the Dodder! Take a look at
these photos!

Dipper and Kingfisher above Eric Dempsey.

Kingfisher on the Dodder. Shay Connolly

Saturday
18 April, 2009
The Tolka Branch trip to Monaghan fulfilled all expectations with
exciting displays from our target birds and some! First up was a
fabulous aerial courtship display by a male Hen
Harrier attempting to impress 3 females. 2 Buzzards in the
air at the same time contributed to the raptorous excitement!! On the
moorland we were lucky to see the normally elusive Red
Grouse and a Cuckoo was calling in the
mid distance. Other summer migrants included numerous Swallows, Willow
Warblers and Chiffchaffs. On our way back we
stopped at Ashbourne Rugby Club where 2 Short-Eared
owls were showing well in the evening sunlight. Another
inspiring Tolka trip on a fabulous sunny spring day.

Red Grouse and Willow Warbler below. Eric Dempsey

Hen Harriers below. John Fox

Short-Eared Owl seen on the Tolka trip. Nicola Dunphy

17
April, 2009
3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Ruff, 1 Red-Throated Diver ( this bird has been
here for some time and may have a damaged wing) at Swords today. GP 2
Eider ducks seen briefly off Bremore Point this evening.AK

Easter
Sunday, 12 April, 2009A pair Swallows this morning dive bombing a Sparrowhawk over North Brunswick
Street early this morning!. DMcC Between Anglers Rest and Motorway 6 Chiffchaff
singing. 5 Blackcap. 2 Willow warblers,1 Buzzard flew low over the road.
At the Phoenix Park, looking back towards the Strawberry Beds a Buzzard
soaring very high. At the Magazine Fort 3 Sand Martins and several
Swallows.CE

Saturday
11 April, 2009A beautiful sunny spring day in Dublin with an unusual sighting of a Buzzard
over the Bull and Shelbourne Rd moving south west at midday and being
helped along by a corvid.SF, LB On the Sutton side of Howth Head there
were 50 + Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, 5 Swallows, 1
Wheatear, 10 Sandwich Terns, 2 Crossbills in the Pines above the
Martello tower . 2 White Wagtails on the salt marsh at the Bull
also 11 Wheatears, 3 Swallows,1 Sand Martin, 7 Sandwich Terns, 7 Willow
Warblers.SF
Nice views of singing Blackcap at the m50 roundabout Ballymun this evening from 6.30pm
till 9.30pm.MK

And we thought winter was over. Not for the Brambling in Portmarnock
( see Dave;s photo below )and the 40 Waxwings in Inchicore. Also
the Iceland Gull is still around Heuston Station. PK A touch of
Spring however with singing Willow Warblers in Shankill and Killiney. RV
KG

Brambling today in Portmarnock. Dave Dillon

5
April, 2009
Short-eared Owl seen over the Bull heading for St Anne's this
afternoon. SF At Swords, 3 Ruff including displaying pair also 7
Buzzards and a Dark-bellied Brent. RV

4
April, 2009
Sandwich Tern
just south of Arklow at Kilmichael Point, Co. Wexford this morning, also present was a
Sand Martin.ER

Sandwich Tern . Arklow. Emmett Rees

Dipper on the Dodder,. Shay Connolly

3
April, 2009By now you should all have seen the Short-eared owls in Ashbourne?
Waxwings (20) still in Inchicore. PK At the Poolbeg this evening in misty conditions a
Manx Shearwater flew past & an ad. Ring-billed Gull
was at the outflow with c200 Kittiwakes. On the sandbar south of Irishtown there was a 3rd summer type
Glaucous Gull and 3 Sandwich Terns.NK.

That time of year already? Summer plumaged
Black-tailed Godwit. John Fox

Our friend with a Rook. John Fox

Eric

Nicola

2
April, 2009
2 Woodpeckers heard drumming in Tomnafinogue Co Wicklow. Also present in the woods were several singing
Stock Doves, Chiffchaffs Song and Mistle thrushes and a single Willow
Warbler. Along the Avoca river just outside Arklow, there was a minumum of
3 Red Kites, 6 Buzzards and a pair of Sparrowhawks. Another 2 Red
Kites were seen along the main Dublin/Wexford road a few miles north of Arklow. At Blackhill there were
8 Crossbills along with several singing Siskin, a willow warbler and several
Chiffchaffs, 7 Buzzards circling together in the valley below was some sight. A
Swallow also flew over singing away. At Kilcoole there was 1 Swallow, a few
Whimbrel and the Green- winged Teal was just south of the breaches showing very well. At Ashbourne the
3 Short- eared Owls eventually showed very well again this evening from shortly after 630 pm.
RV 5 Gannets and 1 Wheatear seen at the Baily Lighthouse to-day.
A pair of Siskins continue to feed daily on the peanut
feeder in Heather's garden in Howth. HQ. 1 Chiffchaff at Rogerstown today.BK
At the Punchestown Sand Pits, Naas, Co. Kildare; 4 pairs of Coots, 2
pairs of displaying Lapwing along with an unattached flock of 6 others,
one Buzzard being mobbed by a large number of crows.SO@B

Chiffchaff. Rogerstown. Brian Keogh

1 April, 2009
3 Short -Eared owls put in an appearance, a buzzard, 2 sparrowhawks and 2 swallows were all in the rugby club area in
Ashbourne. RV a single Swallow seen flying over silloge golf course this morning at 10.30 beside the airport.also two
Buzzards soaring together over harristown bus depot in same area.
MK

30
March,2009
2 Swallows at Arklow train station this morning and also 3 Waxwings on the southside of Arklow.ER

Short-Eared Owl. Eric Dempsey

Sunday
29 March, 2009 4 Buzzards soaring together between the bridges at Strawberry
Beds. A little interaction and small display dives. 2 Sparrowhawks soaring near them as well.CE
6 Red-Throated Divers at Kilmichael Point, south of Arklow today.ER
2 Short eared Owls present in Ashbourne at teatime today.AR One
Redwing in Inchicore . IS